Machine for positioning protectors for tubes containing toothpaste and the like



May 12,1959 E 3 Filed July 21. 1955 sRAMEK MACHINE FOR POSITIONINGPROTECTORS FOR TUBES coummmc TOOTHPASTE AND THE LIKES sheets sheet lINVTOR: ELMER D. SRAMEK BY m w dm Mf ATT'YS 1 May 12, 1959 E. D. SRAMEK2,885,847 MACHINE FOR POSITIONING PROTECTORS FOR TUBES CONTAININGTOOTHFASTE AND THE LIKE Filed July 21, 1955 v 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IINVENTOR: ELMER D. SRAMEK ATT'YS May 12, 1959 E. D. SRA EK 2,835,847MACHINE FOR POSITIONING PROTECTORS FOR TUBES v CONTAINING TOOTHPASTE ANDTHE LIKE Filed July 21 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 4

INVENTOR." ELMER D. SRAMEK' BY WWM' ATT'YS May 12, SRAMEK I MACHINE FORPOSITIONING PROTECTORS FOR TUBES I CONTAINING TOOTHPASTE AND THE; LIKEFiled July 21, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 7 INVENTOR. ELMER D. SRAMEK ATT YSu 5 t 8 e 9 6 3w 2 Mmh BS W5 R O O F S R May 12, 1959 E. D. SRAMEKMACHINE FOR POSITIONING PROTECTO CONTAINING TOOTHPASTE AND THE LIKEFiled July 21, 1955 5. FIG.9

' INVENTOR. ELMER D. SRAMEK FIG.|O

ATT YS United States Patent Of Elmer D. Sramek, Cicero, Ill., assignorto.F. B..Redington Co., Chicago, Ill., a corporationof DelawareApplication 'Jrily'21,"1'9'55, 'S'erial No. 523,'542 Claims. c1. 53-137This invention relates to a machine for inserting elements about a tubeof toothpaste or other material, which are to be arranged within acarton or container.

The invention consists ingeneral of a cardboard protector element whichis bentalong a transverse center score line and applied over the clipend of a tube of toothpaste or othermaterial. The machine embodies acontinuously rotating main drive .shaft which operates certain elementsas well as-operating at Geneva wheel for step-by-step "rotation of adriven :shaft from which certain other elements and 'devices areoperated. The operation of the twotshafts and the elements operatedthereby are synchronized and "correlated :so that .certain cycles ofoperation of both the continuously operating main drive shaft and theintermittently operated driven shaft are properly timed. -A;protector:slide receives a cardboard protector from the bottom fof' a stack ofprotectors in a magazine, and "moves the protectors to a predeterminedlocation, where they are successively engaged by. averticallyreciprocating blade engaging vthe transverse score line of theprotector, theprotector then being received within certain slots inoppositely disposed disks which .form a protector wheel. The protectorwheel, comprising the disks, moves intermittently, and a protector whichis bent by a blade along its .score line is inserted in the opposedslots of the protector wheel disks. After the protector wheel has moveda part revolution, the protector is pushed outwardly of the slots in theprotector wheel impartially folded condition and arranged about the clipend .of a tube which has previously been placed in-a bucket of acontinuously. moving bucket-conveyer. The tube,'withthe protectorarranged about theclip end thereof, is thenmoved to .tcartoningposition, where. it isinsertedinto a carton or container.

The primary objectof .the present invention consists in the provision ofnew and improved means for feedingatube protector member along apredetermined path, the protector being bent .along .a transverse .scoreline forinsertion in a protector-carrying wheel where the bentprotectors are laterpushed outof the wheclvandearranged in partiallyfolded position about the clip end of a tube.

Another object ofthe .invention is theprovision of new and improved.means .for, placing a protector .element over the clip-end .of a tube atan angle to the tube, which has previously been arranged ina bucket of acontinuously moving bucket conveyer.

Another .object of the invention=consists.intheprovision-of a new andnovel method orprocess .for 'feeding a ,protector from the bottom .of a.stack ;to a predetermined, position, where .itisbent or partiallyfolded along a transverse score line, and then inserted into anintermittently moving protector wheel, where the protector 'is thentransferred from the wheel in its partially folded position andplacedabout the clip end of a tube.

further object of the invention (consists .in the arrangement,construction "and llocation 'of' the .parts to provide for prope'r and'efiicient'operation to e'fiect smooth 2,885,847 Patented May :12, 1959Free and easy transferring and positioning of the protector element andapplication thereof about the clip end of-a tube.

Numerous other objects and advantages will be apparent throughout theprogress of the specification which follows.

The accompanying drawings illustrate aselected embodiment of theinvention, and the views therein are- 'as follows:

Fig. 1 is a detail perspective view looking in a downward direction andshowing the front side andtheleft hand side of the machine;

Fig. 2 is adetail perspective view showingschematically a partial tubeand its "protector member arranged within a carton or container;

Fig. 3 is a detail prespective view looking in an upward direction andshowing the rear'side and the right hand side of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a detail *plan section on the line 4-4 :of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is 'a detail horizontal longitudinal view on athe line 55 of Fig.4;

Fig. 6 is a detail vertical sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 7 andlooking at'the front of the machine; 7 Fig. 7 is a detail verticalsectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. .8 is a detail 'vertical sectional viewion the .line 88 of Fig. 6;

vFig. -9 is 'a detail vertical sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 6;and

Fig. 10 is a detail transverse sectional view on the line.1t]l0 of Fig.4.

The particular construction herein shown for the purpose .ofillustrating the invention comprises azprotector positioning machineordevice having a frame for transverse lower drive shaft '2 is suitablymounted in bearings at its opposite ends. A Geneva block 3 is fixedtothedrive shaft 2, Figs. 1,

4 on the Geneva block 3 rotates the Geneva Wheel 6 in step-by-steprotation, whereby the .upper shaft 7 is rotated one-fourth revolu- Figs.3 and 9, of the arms of between the slots v5.

A cam wheel 12, Figs. 3, 6 and 8, is'fixed to thedrive shaft 2 and has aface camway 13 which is engaged by g to the upper end of the lever arm15, and this link 17 has fixed thereon fingers members 18,Figs. 1, 6 and7, to push a protector disk wheel 8. The other end of the cateto=complete a cycle by means of the movement-.of the lever arm .15during eachcomplete revolution oftthe lower main drive shaft 2. A rod 22is pivotally connected 'nected at its upper end to an upper at one ofits ends to the link 20, Figs. 3 and 7, and its other end is pivotallyconnected at 23 to a crank 24, Fig. 3. The crank 24 has a vertical shaftor rod 25 fixed thereto, the shaft 25 passing through a rigidfitting 26and concrank arm 27. The outer end of the crank arm 27, Fig. 3, ispivotally connected at 28 to a block 29 located between side guides 30,30, Figs. 3 and 4. The reciprocating movement of the link 20, therefore,transmits vertical oscillation of the rod 25, which in turn operates thecrank arm 27 to cause horizontal reciprocation of the slide block 29.The block 29 is arranged between side guides 30, and these guides areprovided with slots on their inner sides to receive a slide plate ormember 31 which is fastened rigidly to the block 29, Figs. 3 and 4.

The slide member 31, which is fastened to the block 29, is U-shaped andcomprises a rear member 32 and in- 'cludes spaced apart fingers 33, 33which straddle a protector support member 34 fixed to a bottom plate onthe guide members 30. The ends of the fingers 33 are inclined as at 35,and rabbetted as at 36, Figs. 1, 4 and 5, so as to receive the outeredges of a fiat cardboard protector member 9 from the bottom of a stackof cardboard protectors. The lowermost protector 9 from the stack is fedforwardly to a rest position, and lies flat, over oppositely positioneddownwardly inclined forming members 37, 37, Figs. 1, 4 and 10, the loweredges of the forming members 37, 37 being spaced apart a predetermineddistance to permit a protector 9 to be formed thereover and guide ittoward the wheel 8. These downwardly inclined forming members 37 includeforming or breaking parts or extensions for the cardboard protectors 9,and are fastened to side extension arms 38, Figs. 1 and 10, on the rigidslide guide 7 members 30 at their forward ends. Spring pressed shoes 39,Figs. 4, 5 and 10, arranged just above these latter members 38, aresupported on arms 40, Figs. 1, 4 and 5, which are fixed to rigid spacedstandards 41 which comprise the magazine 42 for a stack of cardboardprotectors. The rigid standards 41 are fixed to brackets which areconnected to the standards and to a plate to which the guides 30 arealso fastened. One of the magazine standards 41 has a bracket 44, Figs.1 and 4, fastened thereto and carries a rigid shoe on its bottom surfacejust above the member 43, whereby a protector is received, the members34 and 44 preventing a cardboard member 9 from shifting vertically.

The vertical members 41 of the magazine 42 have their inner edgesurfaces channel-shaped as indicated at 45, Fig. 4, to conform with theends of the cardboard protectors 9.

A folder blade 46 is arranged directly over a score line 47 of aprotector 9 to partially fold the protector 9 along the score line,Figs. 1 and 4. The blade 46 is in a plane vertical to the score line andhas its bottom edge serrated. The blade 46 is demountably fastened to aslide bar or fitting 48, Fig. 4, which is secured to a vertical slideplate 49, Figs. 1 and 4, sliding in spaced vertical slide guides 50rigidly secured to a rigid part of the frame 1, such as by welding themto the frame. The slide plate 49 has a block 51 fastened thereto at itsupper end, the block having the upper end of a drive rod 52 pivotallyconnected thereto, Fig. 1. The lower end of the rod 52 is pivoted to acrank arm 53 which is fastened adjustably to an end of the lower driveshaft 2.

The protector feed wheel 8 comprises two spaced apart disks 54, 54,Figs. 1, 6 and 7, on a hub 55, which is fastened to the Geneva wheelshaft 7. The disks 54 each have advanced opposed slots 56, Figs. 6 and7, the edges of the material at the side edges of the slots 56 beingbeveled from right to left (high side on the right), Figs. 1 and 7. Theslots 56 are somewhat narrower near the center than at the periphery,and the slots 56 of one disk 54 are not directly opposite the slots 56in the companion disk of the feed wheel 8. The slots 56 are advanced,that is, a slot on the left side is advanced with respect to a companionslot on the right hand side of a disk 54, whereby the slots 56 may besaid to be diagonally opposite. When a protector 9 is in companion slots56 it will be at an angle of 37 from one slot to the other, as shown inFig. 6.

Operation In operation, and assuming there are no protectors 9 in themachine, and the machine is at rest, but there is a stack of protectorsin the magazine, the protector feeder fingers 33 will engage the rearslanting sides of the lowermost protector 9 of the stack. As the shaft 2rotates, the lever arm 15 will be moved by the cam 12 rearwardly, thatis, its upper end will swing rearwardly. The link 17 to which it isconnected will also move rearwardly, and inasmuch as the rear crank arm24 is connected to the link or rod 22 this latter crank or lever arm 24will also swing rearwardly, and inasmuch as the rod 22 is pivoted to thelatter crank or lever arm 24 it too will move rearwardly and move thevertical shaft 25 in a clockwise direction. This clockwise movement ofthe vertical shaft 25 causes the crank arm 27 to slide the member 29 andto move the slide plate 31 forwardly to engage a lowermost protector 9,move the protector forwardly and coming to rest on the side edges of thedownwardly inclined plates 37, 37. This movement comprises a halfrevolution of the shaft 2. The continued rotation of the shaft 2 to thesecond half of its revolution will return the feed slide fingers 33 backto original position ready to engage a subsequent protector during thenext succeeding forward reciprocation of the feeder slide fingers 33.

When the feeder slide fingers 33 have reached the end of their forwardfeeding movement, the folder blade 46 will be at its uppermost positionand be above a fed protector, the blade 46 having been moved to itsuppermost position by reason of the rotation of the shaft 2 by which theslide block 49 is operated through the crank arm 53. The blade 46 isthen in position to descend, and the continued rotation of shaft 2 willmove the blade 46 downwardly, engaging a protector 9 at the score line47, forcing the protector 9 between the inclined plates 37, 37 andthrough the opening between their lower ends and into the slots 56 inthe disks 54 of the feeder transfer wheel 8, the slots 56 in the wheel 8then being directly below the space between the inclined folder plates37 because the Geneva wheel has caused onequarter of a revolution of theshaft 7. The blade 46 then forces a bent protector 9 into the operatingslots 56 of the disks 54 as the feeder fingers 33 are returning toretracted position. The Geneva wheel 6, therefore, is again driven torotate the transfer feeder wheel 8 onequarter of a revolution, and theprotector 9, while diagonally positioned, is horizontal, having movedfrom vertical loading position to horizontal unloading position. When aprotector is in such horizontal position the stripper fingers 18 arebehind a folded or bent protector 9 and then move forward to strip afolded protector out of the cooperating slots 56 in a horizontal plane.The strippers 18, one on each side of each disk, pushes the bentprotector 9 out of the slots 56 and places it over the clip end 57 of atube 58. The tube 58 has previously been placed in a bucket 59, Fig. l,and the protector 9 is placed over the tube clip 57 at the same angle asthe slots 56 in the disks 54. The protector 9 is placed over the clipend 57 as the tube 58 is in a bucket 59 while the bucket is moving,successive buckets being connected to a continuously moving chain 60 andthus forming a continuously moving conveyor 61, Fig. l. The buckets 58are adjacently spaced and are moving continuously as the protectors areapplied successively to tubes in successive buckets, to be inserted intocartons 62, Fig. 2.

One cycle of operation thus comprises four revolutions of the shaft 7during one revolution of the shaft 2 as the Geneva wheel 6 is caused torotate the shaft 7 one-quarter of 'a revolution each time the shaft 2frotates once. One revolution of the shaft 2,*"there'fore, forms onecycle of operation, whereupon a "protector is 'fed to forming position.The blade 46 then comes down, engages a protector 9, and places theprotector in the slots '56 in the disks 54, whereupon the stripperfingers 18, 18 move forwardly to stripping position, and then laterreturn. The succeeding cycles are the same, first feeding a protector 9,engaging 'theprotector by theblade 46 to bend it, inserting the 'bent orpartially folded protector into the slots of the disks 54, and finallystripping or pushing out the folded protector from the disks and placingsuccessive protectors 9 over the clip end 57 of the toothpaste tube 58for packaging into a carton '62, Fig. 2.

The continuously moving buckets -59,'into which a tube 8 has previouslybeen placed, are each of asize so'that the tube 58 will fit thereinproperly without excess or appreciable movement. The tube 58 ispreferably located angularly in its respective bucket, that it, the clipend 57 will be disposed at an angle to the base of a bucket, as shown inFig. 1. Therefore, the tube is -restricted or limited from shifting asthe protector is slid over the clip end of a tube while thebuckets arebeing constantly propelled by the conveyer. The fingers 18 strip theprotector from the wheel whilemoving, the protector being angularlypositioned in the transfer wheel to conform with the angular positiono'f'the tube.

There is a guide on the machine .(not shown) which extends over the'topof the buckets 59 of the conveyor 6'1 to prevent a folded or bentprotector 9 from springing upwardly. Also there is a guide member(notishown) 'on the machine adjacent a side of a disk 54 to keep thebent protector from falling out of the cooperating slots of the disks.The operating parts of the machine are covered by hoods or guards (notshown) vto protect the operator during operation of the machine.

.The invention provides a small, eificient machine which is composed ofrelatively few parts and is adapted'to'be readily and economicallymanufactured. The machine may be incorporated as an additional part inan existing machine, or it may be included as an operative part of acontinuous machine for feeding protectors in bent formation about theclp end of the tube 'at an angle to the directional movement of thecontinuously operating bucket conveyer.

Changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of theparts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificingany of its advantages, and the right is hereby reserved tomake =all:such'changes as fall fairly within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A machine for applying a protector element over the clip end of atube containing tooth paste, "and'the like, comprising a reciprocalmember engaging a protector element from the bottom ofa stackofelements-and delivering said protector to a predetermined position, aslotted transfer wheel arranged below a protector when delivered to saidpredetermined position, a blade member engageable with the protectorelement and operable to insert the protector in the slots of the wheel,a continuously rotating shaft to operate said reciprocal member, and anintermittently rotatable shaft to operate said transfer wheelintermittently, means to rotate the intermittently rotating shaft fromthe continuously rotating shaft, and means to reciprocate the blademember from the latter shaft.

2. A machine for applying a protector element over the clip end of atube containing tooth paste, and the like, comprising a reciprocalmember engaging a protector element from the bottom of a stack ofelements and delivering said protector to a predetermined position, aslotted transfer wheel arranged below a protector when delivered to saidpredetermined position, a blade member engageable with the protectorelement and operableto .insert the protector Lin the slots of the'whee1,* a continuously rotating shaft to operate said reciprocal"member, and an intermittently rotatable 'shaft to operate said transferwheel intermittently, means to rotate the intermittently rotating shaftfrom the continuously rotating shaft, means to operate the blade memberfrom the continuously rotating shaft in timed relation with theintermittent rotation of the wheel, and reciprocal pusher means operatedby the continuously rotating shaft in timed relation with the blademember, the wheel and the reciprocal member.

3. A machine for applying a protector element overthe clip end of a tubecontaining tooth paste, and the like, comprising a reciprocal memberengaging a protector element from the bottom of astack of elements anddelivering 'said protector to a predetermined position, a slottedtransfer wheel arranged below a protector when delivered to saidpredetermined position, a blade member engageable with the protectorelement and operable to insert the protector in the slots of the wheel,said transfer 'wheel having the protector receiving slots locatedperipherally of the wheel and angularly transversely thereof, and meansfor actuating said reciprocal member, said transfer wheel, and saidblade member in synchronism.

4. A machine for applying a protector element over the clip end of atube containing tooth paste, and the like, comprising a reciprocalmember engaging a protector element-from the bottom of a stack ofelements and delivering said protector to a predetermined position, aslotted transfer wheel arranged below a protector when delivered to saidpredetermined position, a blade member engageable with the protectorelement and operable to insert the protector in the slots of the wheel,a continuouslyrotating shaft to operate said reciprocal member, and anintermittently rotatable shaft to operate said transfer wheelintermittently, means to rotate the inter-. mittently rotating shaftfrom the continuously rotating shaft, means to operate the blade memberfrom the continuously rotating shaft in timed relation with theintermittent rotation of the wheel, and reciprocal pusher means operatedby the continuously rotating shaft in timed relation with the blademember, the Wheel and the reciprocal member, said transfer wheel havingthe protector receiving slots located peripherally of the wheel andangularly transversely thereof.

5. In a machine having a continuously moving conveyor carryingsuccessively positioned tubes with the clip end of them locatedangularly with respect to the conveyors into which a tube has previouslybeen inserted, and means for applying a protector member over the clipend of a tube while the tube is being carried by the conveyor,said'means comprising a magazine for holding a plurality of flatprotector members in stacked formation, a transfer wheel adapted toreceive a stationary protectorin bent form, a reciprocating memberlocated at an angle with respect to the axis of the wheel and engageablewith a lowermost protector member, means for positioning the member to apredetermined stationary position, means parallel to the wheel forpartially bending the member and placing it in said wheel in bent form,an intermittently rotating driven shaft for operating said wheelintermittently, and means adjacent the wheel to eject said bentprotector over an end of the tube while the tube is on the movingconveyor.

6. In a machine having a continuously moving con veyor carryingsuccessively positioned tubes with the clip end of them locatedangularly with respect to the conveyors into which a tube has previouslybeen inserted, and means for applying a protector member over the clipend of a tube while the tube is being carried by the conveyor, saidmeans comprising a magazine for holding a plurality of flat protectormembers in stacked formation, a transfer wheel adapted to receive astationary protector in bent form, a reciprocating member located at anangle with respect to the axis of the wheel and engageable with alowermost protector member, means for positioning the member to apredetermined stationary position, means parallel to the Wheel forpartially bending the member and placing it in said wheel in bent form,an intermittently rotating driven shaft for operating said wheelintermittently, and means adjacent the wheel to eject said bentprotector over an end of the tube while the tube is on the movingconveyor, said wheel having transverse angular peripheral slots aboutthe periphery thereof in parallel alinement with the reciprocatingmember.

7. In a machine having a continuously moving conveyor carryingsuccessively positioned tubes thereon, and means for applying aprotector member over an end of each successive tube While the tubes arebeing carried by the conveyor, said means comprising a magazine forholding a plurality of protector members in stacked formation, atransfer wheel adapted to receive a stationary protector in bent form, areciprocating member engaging a lowermost protector member andpositioning it to a predetermined stationary position above the wheel,operable means for partially bending the member and placing it in saidwheel in bent form, means for operating said wheel, and ejector meansadjacent the wheel to eject said bent protector over an end of the tubewhile the tube is moving with the conveyor, said wheel comprising a pairof spaced disks having transverse slots therein and into which slots thebent protector is received, the slots in one disk being angularlydisposed with respect to the slots of the other disks, said slots beingin parallel alinement with the directional movement of the reciprocatingmember.

8. In a machine having a continuously moving conveyor carryingsuccessively positioned tubes thereon, and means for applying aprotector member over an end of each successive tube while the tubes arebeing carried by the conveyor, said means comprising a magazine forholding a plurality of protector members in stacked formation, atransfer wheel adapted to receive a stationary protector in bent form, areciprocating member engaging a lowermost protector member andpositioning it to a predetermined stationary position above the wheel,operable means for partially bending the member and placing it in saidwheel in bent form, means for operating said wheel, and ejector meansadjacent the wheel to eject said bent protector over an end of the tubewhile the tube is moving with the conveyor, said wheel comprising a pairof spaced disks having transverse slots therein and into which slots thebent protector is received, the slots in one disk being angularlydisposed with respect to the slots of the other disks, said slots beingin parallel alinement with the directional movement of the reciprocatingmember, a continuously rotating driving shaft to operate thereciprocating means and the operable means, and a driven shaftintermittently rotated by the drive shaft to operate the wheel.

9. In a machine having a continuously moving conveyor made up of aplurality of successively spaced interconnected buckets into which tubeshave previously been successively inserted with the clip end of the tubeangularly positioned with respect to the bottom of a bucket, and meansfor applying a protector member over the clip end of each successivetube while the tubes are being carried in their respective buckets, saidmeans comprising a magazine for holding a plurality of protector membersin vertical stacked formation, a horizontal intermittently driven shaft,a rotatable transfer wheel on said shaft and adapted to receive astationary protector in bent form, a horizontally reciprocating memberengaging a lowermost protector member and positioning it to apredetermined stationary position, a constantly rotating drive shaftoperating the reciprocating member and the driven shaft, a verticallyreciprocating blade member driven by said drive shaft for partiallybending the member and placing it in said wheel in bent form, andejector means driven by the drive shaft to eject each successiveprotector member over the clip end of successive tubes while the tubesare in a moving bucket.

10. In a machine having a continuously moving conveyor made up of aplurality of successively spaced interconnected buckets into which tubeshave previously been successively inserted with the clip end of the tubeangularly positioned with respect to the bottom of a bucket, and meansfor applying a protector member over the clip end of each successivetube while the tubes are being carried in their respective buckets, saidmeans comprising a magazine for holding a plurality of protector membersin vertical stacked formation, a horizontal intermittently driven shaft,a transfer wheel on said shaft and adapted to receive a stationaryprotector in bent form, a horizontally reciprocating member engaging alowermost protector member and positioning it to a predeterminedstationary position, a constantly rotating drive shaft operating thereciprocating member and the driven shaft, a vertically reciprocatingblade member for partially bending the member and placing it in saidwheel in bent form, and ejector means driven by the drive shaft to ejecteach successive protector member over the clip end of successive tubeswhile the tubes are in a moving bucket, said horizontal reciprocatingmember being positioned at an angle with respect to said shafts, saidvertical reciprocating member being perpendicular to shaft shafts, saidwheel having opposed transverse slots angularly disposed to each otherand in a plane parallel to the directional movement of the horizontalreciprocating member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,436,005 Barggren Nov. 21, 1922 2,263,501 Jones Nov. 18, 1941 FOREIGNPATENTS 709,804 Great Britain June 2, 1954

